Calendar: July 8-14, 2022
Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!
7/9: Jessie Seitz (key make-up artist, THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V, Sleep Creature LLC, Moulton, AL)
7/12: Michael Wiese (president, Michael Wiese Productions, Studio City, CA)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Ugh. No waxing obtusely from me^ this week, dearest readers! I’ve waned so badly over the last few days that I had told myself to go ahead and skip the Calendar. I rescinded that thought, obviously, yet I could have easily sat it out since everyone most likely knows what’s playing at the theaters near us due to promotion overload in the media. Our two major venues in Champaign County are both showing the exact same seven releases across 29 screens total, Danville’s AMC location is more of the same, and the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in of Hoopeston is thrilling the home folks with the top two box office earners. I guess a tip of the cap goes to the Virginia Theatre and News-Gazette for running TOP HAT on Saturday as an alternative except that, given all the classic catalog titles that are likely available to rent, they felt the need to revisit a familiar oldie last shown in this long-running series way back in … 2019. Why?
If this is the “return to normal” that paying customers have been pining for since the pandemic forced all auditoriums to go dark at the end of March 2020, then the patience of many is finally being rewarded. Support the local arts and entertainment houses, by all means, and if what they offer is appealing to you, then enjoy. If what they offer is old hat or worse in your eyes, then more engaging film can always be found elsewhere. I realize this is an ebb-and-flow issue in a pragmatic sense with the big-ticket summer items dominating screen time until the studios loosen their grip and allow for more choices per week* in the fall, but it also paints a too-familiar picture of what kinds of movies are deemed “popular” and “desirable” by the general public and elicits a deep, defeated sigh from yours truly.
Sadly, I’m having a hard time justifying a trip to see a movie for any reason. Several wide releases have tempted me and none of them lasted long enough for me to say “yes” over the stress. The last one I bought a ticket to see was GODZILLA VS. KONG, which in and of itself didn’t help matters, but at least it was an excuse to visit a theater I had never been to, the Roxy Cinemas in Ottawa. It should not be a surprise to you that my choices in the Illinois region where I currently live are as lacking as in Champaign-Urbana right now. THE BLACK PHONE? Check. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER? Aye. MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU? Bananas! TOP GUN: MAVERICK? All systems go! ELVIS? Thankyouverymuch!
To think that I used to get so excited every year about the Big Movies coming soon … in 1985, anyway. Here in 2022, the restored over-reliance on hoped-for Hollywood hits** and the overt limitations of what the cinema du C-U can support as a result*** is a sorry situation that can simply kiss my Asgard. Ugh.
*I should make mention of the limited-run, “special event” shows appearing most weeks at the Phoenix Savoy 16 in Savoy. Their picks certainly broaden the range of what patrons can choose to see, even if quality control from suppliers is at times less than optimal, yet one needs to skim their listings on the regular if one wants a heads-up. Occasional surprises appear in the mélange of catalog favorites, documentaries, sports programs, television retrospectives, music concerts, and Christian tracts.
**I do remember the “dire state” of the industry not long ago. Corporations teetered on bankruptcy and many average citizens lost their jobs. It’s not just picky customers who want their money back. The numbers being thrown up by tracking services lately must look quite lovely to the suits in office spaces.
***I should reiterate that Savoy and the Champaign AMC earn props for featuring full runs as often as not of Asian and Indian genre films, which they both had been doing in the spring before TOP GUN: MAVERICK zoomed in to launch the summer blockbuster parade. Of course, there is a ton more fare from the world over that could play here if theaters booked them and audiences attended them and the University of Illinois fostered them outside of “Ebertfest.” Once upon a time in C-U, they all simply did.
^“Oh, who the hell am I kidding,” I think as I finally write the end of this at 5:30 in the morning…
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on), PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (7/14 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on), TRANSFORMERS 15th anniversary (7/10, 7/14, 3 & 7 p.m.), DIRTY DANCING (1987) (7/10, 11:55 a.m., 3 & 7 p.m.; 7/13, 3:30 & 7 p.m.), TROLLS WORLD TOUR, THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (7/12-7/14, 10 a.m., free), The Metropolitan Opera Summer Encore: The Merry Widow starring Renée Fleming (7/13, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), THE DEER KING fan event (animé; 7/13-7/14, 7 p.m., English dub), PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (7/14 on)
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. THE BAD GUYS (7/14, 9 p.m., free)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, MEMORY, more! (7/5 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
The News-Gazette Film Series presents TOP HAT (7/9, 1 & 7 p.m.)
Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!
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NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond
@ AMC Classic Village Mall 6, Danville, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (7/7-7/10)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (Screen 1), MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (Screen 2) (7/8 on)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties this week; “Popcorn Drive-thru” at the Lorraine Theatre (7/9, 6 p.m.)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
OFFICIAL COMPETITION (7/8-7/10), SUNSET BOULEVARD (7/14)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (7/8-7/10)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE (7/8-7/10)
@ Route 34 Drive-in, Earlville, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (7/1-7/3)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, LIGHTYEAR (Screen 1), MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, ELVIS (Screen 2) (7/8 on)
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on), TROLLS WORLD TOUR (7/12-7/13, 10 a.m., free), PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (7/14 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, ELVIS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on), PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY (7/13-7/14, 10 a.m.)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/8 on), PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY (7/13-7/14, 10 a.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, as well as cancellations and postponements due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, please visit the fine folks at Cine-File and subscribe to their definitive “Cine-List” weekly blast.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
7/15-7/21
12th annual Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, Chicago, IL
9/22-10/2
40th Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
4/19-4/22, 2023
23nd Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
“The Arthouse Experience Film Series” curated by Sanford Hess
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
7/27: THE WHITE TIGER
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Animation Vacation Movie Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
7/26, 7/28: THE LION KING (6:30 p.m.); 8/13: “Saturday Morning Cartoons” (9:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.); 8/20: SLEEPING BEAUTY (2 & 6:30 p.m.)
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad”
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free
7/21: FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE; 7/28: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT; 8/4: FATHER STU; 8/11: MORBIUS; 8/18: DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
UPDATE! The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
7/9: TOP HAT
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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